


It gets harder every day

by jessicamiriamdrew



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, Science Boyfriends, angst I guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-06
Updated: 2012-06-06
Packaged: 2017-11-07 01:44:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/425535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessicamiriamdrew/pseuds/jessicamiriamdrew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce is staying away from Tony for Tony's sake-even though it's killing both of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It gets harder every day

**Author's Note:**

> I'm obsessed with Bruce trying to protect Tony by staying away. The song Stay by Miley Cyrus inspired this and the quotes are from there. This ship has sort of taken over my life and so I'm contributing to fandom for the first time in ages.

_Well it’s good to hear your voice  
I hope you’re doing fine  
And if you ever wonder, I’m lonely here tonight._

Bruce Banner, sitting somewhere in South America, was startled by the sound of a phone ringing. He’d forgotten that Tony had forced a cell phone on him, some piece of StarkTech. He picked up the phone and stared at Tony’s picture flashing on the screen.

Sighing internally, he answered the phone and prepared himself for emotional turmoil. “Hey, Tony.”

“Bruce? Are you…doing okay? Are you ready to come back yet?” Bruce didn’t think Tony had ever asked before him. Tony liked to tell people what to do; he wasn’t much for asking permission.

“You know I can’t… I broke Harlem, remember?”

“I don’t care about that. I don’t care about the Hulk. I want you.”

“You know it’s not safe.” Is this what it feels like to have your heart crushed, Bruce thought.

“Since when have I ever given a shit about safe, Bruce? Hello, Iron Man here. Big suit of armor.” Tony protested.

“I’m sorry, Tony. This can’t work. I don’t want to put you in danger.”

“Bruce, please, come on, we can figure something out. We can work on serums together, try to make the Hulk less likely—”

Bruce cut Tony off in the middle of his pleading sentence. “I’m not coming back.” 

“I love you. Please, come back home.” Tony’s voice broke on the word home and Bruce thought he might be crying.

“I don’t—I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Bruce hit end call on the phone and collapsed onto his cot. He whispered “I love you, Tony” into the peace and quiet of a night in a place thousands of miles away from him. Bruce wondered how many times he could tell Tony it wouldn’t work. How many times would he have to repeat a lie, protest that love didn’t matter?

_Say you love me more than you did before  
And I’m sorry that it’s this way_

Tony gave up on calling but every time Bruce looked at his phone there would be multiple text messages.

“I love you.”

“Come home. Please, please, we can figure something out.”

“I’m going crazy without you.”

Bruce deleted all of them immediately after reading.  
— 

_Nothing’s changed, no one can take your place  
It gets harder everyday_

It was a rare occasion when Bruce went into a city large enough to carry foreign papers but he always made sure to pick one up when he did. He brought it back home with him (if he could call his shack a home) and settled in his cot to read it, savor it. His heart thumped in his chest as he flipped through the paper and found the Celebrity section. The headline burned into his eyes: “Tony Stark announces engagement to Pepper Potts, wedding expected by the end of the year.”

Bruce felt the Hulk welling up inside of him, anger and pain coursing through him. “Why fight it?” he thought miserably. “You’ve gotten what you wanted. Tony will never come for you again.”

_Well I try to live without you; the tears fall from my eyes  
I’m alone and I feel empty.  
God, I’m torn apart inside._

When Bruce came to, he was in the middle of a forest, destruction of trees around him. He tried to comfort himself with the knowledge that he was far enough not to have hurt anyone but then he remembered Tony’s engagement. He began the long walk back to his shack, shivering from the empty turn his life had taken.

Back in his shack, he picked up his cell phone with shaking hands. Zero new messages. So…that was it, then. Tony had given up. If this was what Bruce wanted, why did it hurt so badly? Impulsively, he typed out a one word message to Tony. “Congratulations.” He turned off the phone; certain he wouldn’t need it anymore. Grabbing a bottle of sleeping pills, he tossed two back, hoping he could get through the night.

He woke up groggily in the morning. “Morning, sunshine.” said a voice in his room and was that—“Tony?”

Tony gave him a sad smile, none of his usual confidence apparently. 

“What are you doing here Tony? Does SHIELD need the Other Guy?”

“I’m here for you, Bruce. When you told me congratulations…” Tony’s voice trailed off.

“I hope you and Pepper will be very happy.” Bruce said politely, swallowing down bile.

“It’s fake, you know. The whole engagement. I planted the story. I found out what newspapers you’d have access to. I made them print variations of it for a week, hoping you’d pick up a copy and get your head out of your ass and contact me.”

Bruce breathed in and out deeply. “What do you mean, it’s fake?”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily. I just…needed a word from you. I needed to know you were thinking of me.” Tony crossed the room and kissed him, feather light on his lips and pulled back.

“Don’t throw this away. Don’t give up on us.”

“I can’t give you a normal life…”

“How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t care about normal or the Hulk or anyone else? I care about you, Bruce, please stop making me beg.” Bruce looked at Tony, truly looked. Bruce took in bloodshot eyes, rumpled clothes, and a body posture that was so far from the Tony the world knew.

Tony sat down next to him on the cot. A hand went around to the small of Bruce’s back, pulling him in close. All of a sudden, Bruce was very tired of fighting him. Bruce kissed him, let a hand find Tony’s other hand. Tony pulled away from him. “Will you come home with me? Will you stay?”

_I’m sorry it’s this way  
but if you ask me  
I will stay_

Tony kissed him again, tenderly, so different from the frantic nights they had spent together. Before, those nights had had an expiration date, always worried about the threat of SHIELD or aliens or terrorists.

“We can even stay here, if you want,” Tony offered. “I’ve slept in worse places.”

Bruce laughed genuinely. “Let’s go home. I’ll…I’ll stay this time.”


End file.
